Warner Bros and Paramount's Skydance rebrand isn't going down well
(Image credit: Skydance) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The world has a new media and entertainment behemoth – or "constellation" as it prefers…
Annons
Annons
(Image credit: Skydance) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The world has a new media and entertainment behemoth – or "constellation" as it prefers to call itself in the launch video. Somehow, the Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Skydance merger got approved, and a single corporation now owns the eponymous studios along with HBO, CNN, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network Studios, Adult Swim, New Line Cinema, MTV and the likes of Superman and Batman via DC Comics.The name chosen for this unique astronomical phenomenon? Skydance – probably the least-recognised of all the brands the combined company owns. Skydance - YouTube Watch On The use of Titanic to open the launch video above feels like a strangely ominous choice. Only time will tell whether Skydance is an unsinkable giant.For now, if it was hoping for a round of applause for the showreel, it should remember that people don't generally like monopolies. By showing how many big media and entertainment brands and IPs it's just brought under one roof, it's making people realise why there was so much controversy over the merger. "It's like Thanos collecting the infinity stones," one person comments on X.The branding is doing the same thing. The new corporation's name comes from co-CEO David Ellison's former production company Skydance Media (formerly Skydance Productions). It's using the same logo too.Skydance Media bought and was then reverse absorbed into Paramount a year ago to create Paramount Skydance. There's also Skydance Animation, which is behind the Ray Gunn movie coming to Netflix.The logic is that it's a neutral name that avoids an awful mashup (ParaBros?), won't upset Warner Bros or Paramount shareholders and won't diminish either brand. The individual studios will keep their own identities, as will brands like HBO, DC and CNN, much like how Pixar and Marvel continue to exist within Disney.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology. The constellation of Skydance brands (Image credit: Skydance)Skydance's name came from Ellison's personal interest in aviation. Its first movie was 2006's Flyboys, in which Ellison, a licensed pilot, played a pilot. Bestowing this name on the newly combined company gives the merger the feel of a vanity project, like Elon Musk renaming Twitter as X after his spurned idea for an online bank.That brings a risk. Emarketer analyst Ross Benes pointed out to Reuters: "The name is ego-driven. It reminds everyone that the most iconic Hollywood brands answer to Ellison and it is his company who won out". It also means that audiences have a visible culprit to call out over anything they don't like.Ultimately, opposition isn't so much about the name but the concerns about consolidation, job cuts, debt, media independence and the increased concentration of ownership. The company's size has people comparing it to Skynet from the Terminator franchise. And guess who owns the rights to that. TOPICS Joe Foley Freelance journalist and editor Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES 1 Pixar just released a handmade stopmotion Thelma & Louise with fruit – and a nod to GTA VI 2 How thatgamecompany turned Van Gogh paintings into playable spaces 3 A super realistic take on Disney's Stitch and a stylised Samus helped this 3D artist expand his range 4 Erling Haaland files lawsuit against Norwegian Air for unexpected reason 5 Everyone's making mountain-inspired logos in 2026 - here's what that tells us
